Former soccer star fights injury, becomes weapon on football field
No matter how motivationally challenged you are, I dare you to hear senior Derek Doerfler's story and not be inspired.
Three years ago as a freshman soccer player, Doerfler entered Baker University with a big leg. His parents knew it, his coaches knew it and he knew it. In the regional semifinals he let McKendree College know it when he buried a shocker from the top of the box to propel his team into the championship.
Just as things looked like they couldn't get any better for Doerfler, the one nightmare every athlete fears turned into a reality: He got injured. As he and any other moderately cerebral person will tell you, he hurt his foot, the worst part of the body a soccer player can damage. While not his dominant kicking foot, the injury meant the end to his decorated soccer career, and he was devastated.
Doerfler said he went to doctors for second opinions, third opinions and fourth opinions, but they all concurred with their predecessor saying competitive soccer would never again be an option.
What began as sadness quickly turned into frustration for Doerfler as he started to search for any solution that could get him back on the field. After the cast was removed from his left foot, Doerfler was messing around kicking footballs with some buddies when an idea came to him. It was just after he bombed a kick several kilometers when it occurred to him that he was equipped with a weapon of mass destruction attached to his right ankle. If you think I'm kidding, you clearly have never seen Doerfler kick a ball. He's deadly. So deadly, President George Bush should consider sending him to Iraq and have him start kicking people.
After some encouragement from his family and friends, Doerfler decided to approach coach Mike Grossner about walking onto the Baker football team. It took just a few days of training camp for the coach to decide Doerfler and his rocket launcher of a right foot had a spot on the team.
Last Saturday at Liston Stadium, just two years after he kicked the "other football" for the first time, Doerfler broke the record for the longest field goal in Baker University history. The ball traveled 57 yards. For those of you non-football fans who fail to see the amazement behind this feat, the NFL record is only six yards longer. I have gone on vacations shorter than that kick. If footballs could talk, they would beg for holder Ryan Smith to pull the ball away like Lucy does to Charlie Brown.
As of now, Doerfler has not missed a field goal in an official game since he put on his first pair of pads. With the help of friend and mentor Smith, he has already connected this season on kicks from 36, 49 and 57 yards.
What the future holds for Doerfler, only time will tell. With his kicking prowess it will be no surprise when the pros come knocking. This summer during a marketing internship, the Kansas City Chiefs granted him access to their practice facilities, where, he stroked a ball 72 yards through the uprights to mark his longest field goal ever. Chiefs' fans can only hope Herm was watching and is prepared to fulfill our young kicker's dream someday.
Completely inspired, I can think of no better time for me to follow my own dreams. I encourage all of you to do the same. So today, I hereby declare myself eligible for the 2008 NBA draft.